Jounce Therapeutics (JNCE) : licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences (GILD)

• Gilead Sciences (GILD) announced an agreement to exclusively license Jounce Therapeutics Inc.'s (JNCE) tumor-infiltrating T regulatory cells program. 
• Jounce said it plans to submit the antibody treatment to the Food and Drug Administration in the first half of next year. 

 

Gilead is paying $85 million upfront, making a $35 million investment if the deal closes, and allowing for up to $685 million in milestone payments. This is the latest in a handful of oncology deals that Gilead has engaged in 2020, including a $4.7 billion acquisition of Forty Seven Inc. and a $275 million stake in Pionyr Immunotherapeutics Inc.

However, Gilead's stock has struggled to regain momentum from its year-to-date high in April, when it reported the first batch of clinical data for its experimental COVID-19 drug remdesivir. Gilead's stock is up 2.7% for the year, while the S&P 500 (SPX) has gained 8.3% since the start of the year.

=Incyte (INCY) and Merck (MRK) : failed key Phase 3 melanoma study

• Biotech stocks (XBI) lower after important immune-oncology combo data (Incyte's IDO inhibitor plus Merck's Keytruda) fails in key Phase 3 melanoma study:  NLNK (IDO inhibitor peer) -37.57%,  INCY -18.23%,  NKTR -9.84%,  JNCE -10.20%,  LABU -5.14%,  FPRX -3.84%,  ONCS -3.72%,  SAGE -2.21%,  SGEN -1.81%,  BLUE -4.85%,  PBYI-1.85%,  SPPI -2.46%,  CRVS -9.17%,  TSRO +0.37%,  BMRN -2.01%, GLYC-2.03%, MRK-1.19% 
• IBB -1.99%,  XBI -1.78%

Incyte announces that the External Data Monitoring Committee determined that the Phase 3 ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 study did not meet the primary endpoint 

The co and Merck (MRK) announced that an external Data Monitoring Committee review of the pivotal Phase 3 ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 study results evaluating Incyte's epacadostat in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma determined that the study did not meet the primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival in the overall population compared to KEYTRUDA monotherapy.

• The study's second primary endpoint of overall survival also is not expected to reach statistical significance. Based on these results, and at the recommendation of the eDMC, the study will be stopped. The safety profile observed in ECHO-301/KEYNOTE-252 was consistent with that observed in previously reported studies of epacadostat in combination with KEYTRUDA.

Incyte and Merck will inform investigators of the results and work with investigators to appropriately conclude the study in a manner consistent with the best interests of each patient. Data from this study will be analyzed and submitted for presentation at an upcoming scientific congress.